Governance Structure

In accordance with the Bylaws and/or the Governance Document of the Graduate Council of The Graduate School and University Center, the Film Studies Certificate Program shall be governed by: a Coordinator appointed by the President; a doctoral faculty; and a standing Advisory Committee.

I. Coordinator

A. The Coordinator shall be appointed by the President for a term not exceeding three years, with reappointment possible.

B. The Coordinator shall have the following responsibilities:

1. He or she shall preside at meetings of the program's faculty and of its Advisory Committee.

2. The Coordinator shall manage the administrative and academic affairs of the Certificate Program with the advice of the Advisory Committee, and shall have the authority to initiate policies and actions concerning the affairs of the program as specified below, subject to the powers delegated by the aforesaid Bylaws to the program's faculty.

a. The Coordinator shall review all transcripts of students applying for the Certificate and shall submit the names of those qualifying to the Advisory Committee for certification.

3. The Coordinator shall serve ex officio as a voting member of all standing and ad hoc program committees.

4. The Coordinator, with the approval of the Advisory Committee, shall determine the courses to be offered each semester after consultation with faculty and student representatives.

a. The Coordinator shall assign faculty to teach courses after consultation with the Advisory Committee.

5. The Coordinator shall appoint, with the consent of the Advisory Committee, an "Elections Committee" consisting of the Coordinator, three Film Certificate Program faculty members, and three students to conduct all elections, as specified in Paragraphs II D 1-4 below.

a. The Coordinator shall serve as Chair of the Elections Committee and shall be responsible for the mailing of ballots.

6. The Coordinator may establish ad hoc committees to examine specific questions and issues and shall appoint its members from among students and doctoral faculty members of the certificate program.

7. The Coordinator shall prepare minutes, or shall delegate the responsibility for so doing, of every meeting of the Advisory Committee, as well as for any standing or ad hoc committees. Minutes will be distributed to all program faculty and to both faculty and student members of the Advisory Committee, as well as to the Provost.

II. Advisory Committee

A. Composition

1. The Film Studies Certificate Program shall have a standing Advisory Committee consisting of eleven persons, six from the Certificate Program Doctoral Faculty (as specified in paragraph II A 1 a below), two Doctoral Program representatives (as specified in paragraph II A 1 b below), and two student members (as specified in paragraph II A 1 c below), plus the Coordinator who shall act as Chair.

a. Initially, Advisory Committee members from the doctoral faculty will be appointed by the President after consultation with the Coordinator for a term of no more than three years. Thereafter, the program doctoral faculty will elect six faculty members to terms specified in the section on "Elections" below. All doctoral faculty members of the Film Studies Certificate Program are eligible for election to the Advisory Committee. Reelection is possible. (See section on "Elections" below.)

b. The Coordinator shall, with the approval of the elected members of the Advisory Committee, appoint two Executive Officers or their designees from the Ph.D. programs co-sponsoring the Film Studies Certificate Program to the Advisory Committee for terms of three years, with reappointment possible. In making these appointments, the Coordinator shall make every effort to select representatives from those programs with the most active student participation.

ii. Any Ph.D. program at the Graduate Center may become a sponsoring program upon request to the Film Studies Certificate Program and the approval of the Advisory Committee.

c. The two student representatives (see section on "Students" below) will initially be appointed by the Coordinator, after consultation with the Advisory Committee, to a term of one year. Thereafter, it will be the responsibility of the Elections Committee to assist student members of the Advisory Committee to hold elections for two Film Studies Certificate Program student representatives. Elected student representatives shall serve terms of two years, with reelection possible. (See section on "Elections" below.)

B. Responsibilities

1. Advisory Committee members shall have the responsibility of advising the Coordinator on all aspects of the Certificate Program, including establishing standing or ad hoc committees, scheduling, curricular development, faculty appointments and recruitment, budgeting, dissertation proposals and procedures, and sponsorship of extracurricular events.

2. The Advisory Committee shall serve as a committee of the whole in matters of faculty membership, curriculum, and awards, in lieu of separate standing committees.

a. All actions shall require a majority vote.

3. The Advisory Committee shall meet at least once per semester at a time to be specified by the Coordinator. Additional meetings may be called as the Coordinator deems necessary.

a. A quorum shall consist of a majority of members of the Advisory Committee.

b. The latest revised edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern meetings.

4. The Advisory Committee shall nominate to the President members of the initial certificate program faculty. Thereafter, new faculty members shall be elected by a majority vote of the Advisory Committee and their names shall be submitted to the Provost for approval.

5. The Advisory Committee shall meet with Film Certificate Program students once each semester.

D. Elections

1. All members of the Film Studies Certificate Program doctoral faculty are eligible to stand for election as faculty representatives to the Advisory Committee. (See section on "Faculty" below.) In the first election after the governance structure takes effect, two faculty members shall be elected for three-year terms, two for two-year terms, and two for one-year terms. Subsequently, elections for three-year terms on the committee shall be held as vacancies occur.

a. Faculty members shall be elected by the Film Studies Certificate Program's doctoral faculty.

b. Nomination for and election of faculty members to the Advisory Committee shall be conducted by written mail ballots issued by the Elections Committee to all members of the Film Studies Certificate Program doctoral faculty.

c. Election shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast. In the first election, the length of terms to be served will be allotted according to the highest number of votes received by each candidate. In the event of a tie, a run-off ballot shall be held.

2. Student members shall be elected for two-year terms by Film Studies Certificate Program students. (See section on "Students" below.)

a. Nomination for and election of student representatives to the Advisory Committee shall be conducted by written mail ballots issued by the Elections Committee to all Film Studies Certificate Program students.

3. Election to the Advisory Committee in each category shall be by a plurality of ballots received. In the case of a tie, a run-off ballot shall be held.

4. Elections shall take place no later than April 1 for service in the subsequent academic year. Elections require a minimum of one month allowed for response to each ballot.

III. Faculty

A. The initial certificate program doctoral faculty will be appointed by the President after nomination by the Advisory Committee. All faculty will be members of the Graduate Center doctoral faculties.

B. Thereafter, new faculty will be selected by the Advisory Committee from among the members of the doctoral faculties of Graduate School programs during the academic year. New faculty members shall be elected by a majority vote of the Committee and their names shall be submitted to the Provost for approval.

C. On occasion and under special circumstances, a faculty member who is not a member of a doctoral faculty may be recommended for appointment by the Advisory Committee to serve a needed teaching, supervisory or other function. In such cases, after informing related doctoral programs, the Advisory Committee will send the nomination to the Provost for his or her approval.

D. There will be a general meeting of all program faculty and students at least once each semester.

IV. Students

A. Film Studies Certificate Program students shall be defined as those students matriculated for the Ph.D. degree in any doctoral program at The Graduate School who have completed an application for the Certificate, and who are either pursuing the requirements for the Certificate, including taking the required courses and electives, or are working on dissertations or theses in the film studies area.

B. Students shall be represented by two members on the Advisory Committee, who shall be elected for two-year terms as specified above in the section on "Elections."

C. Student members of the Advisory Committee may vote on all issues of principle and policy except those concerning individuals, whether for appointment to or dismissal from the faculty, for student eligibility for the certificate, or for fellowship awards.

D. Students may volunteer for service, or be appointed by the Coordinator to serve, on all ad hoc committees of the Program.

V. Changes in Governance Structure

A. Changes to this governance structure may be proposed to the Coordinator by any member of the Film Studies Certificate Program doctoral faculty or student body. The Coordinator shall introduce the proposed change to the Advisory Committee. Any change approved by the Advisory Committee shall be submitted by mail ballot to all Film Studies Certificate Program doctoral faculty and students for ratification, which shall be by majority of those responding. Changes so approved shall be forwarded by the Coordinator to the Committee on Structure.

Approved by the Committee on Structure, April 25, 1995
Approved the the Graduate Council, May 18, 1995